Feedback and Reflections form the Documentary Summit 2011

‘Without doubt, one of the most uplifting, productive and inspiring weekends I have ever had!
Hanna Wise,
Filmmaker and Underwater camera OP
www.ChinaCakeProductions.com

This weekend gone I hosted the first London Documentary Summit, held at Regents College. We were blessed with truly amazing, motivating and expert speakers who shared on a ridiculously wide range of documentary topics. We even got into a little hot debate here and there which was enormous fun.

For me the highlight was Chris Atkins talking about his two documentaries, ‘Star Suckers’ and ‘Taking Liberties’, documentaries with a strong voice that never shied away from a robust opinion, delivered in a way that will both shock you AND make you giggle. For me the perfect combo. Both films look truly amazing and will be watching them this weekend.

I have to take my hat off to Chris as he really does have real guts, taking head on the media, the police, the government, sheltered only by his knowledge that on legal grounds he is in the right. More important to him though, and to everyone in the room, was that he was also right on moral grounds, a theme that kept resurfacing throughout the weekend, giving us all a sense that what we do is REALLY important. I could personally see that in many of the delegates, the fire that had been put out by years of working inside corporations, was spontaneously re-ignited.

Really splendid stuff.

So a big thanks to all our extraordinary speakers, and here is some feedback, and some sketch notes from Clay Lowe (http://claytonlowe.com/?p=2015 Twitter: @soulcruzer), one of our delegates.

‘I turned up with an idea that I wanted to make into a documentary, and left with a plan so that I can actually make it’
Sarah Johnson, Filmmaker
www.wordpress.com/SarahinHD
@SarahinHD

‘The doc summit showed me how to turn what was an educational idea into one that will also entertain and connect with audiences. Fantastic weekend that has shown me how to plan a project with the end in mind’
Romilla Ready, Author NLP For Dummies Workbook

‘I liked the variety of topics and opinions, it was a greatly curated event’
Lasse Johansson, filmmaker
www.FugitiveImages.org.uk

‘A jolt to the system to really make you want to create’
Alexander Tabrizi, Filmmaker / actor

‘MOTIVATING! Makes you want to go out and apply all the things you learned immediately. Big recommendation’
Anna Huber, Cinematographer

‘I liked the variety of speakers and opinions. It’s given me the kick up the arse I needed to get my films made’
Bex Jones, Cinematographer

‘LOVED IT. Great speakers and very inspiring. Definitely recommend it’
Michael Thomas, Filmmaker

‘I absolutely loved the weekend, especially Chris Atkins and his controversial style of film making’.
Chris, Film maker

‘Fantastic weekend that will save independent film makers of any persuasion a lot of time and money’
Nadia Denton, Author / Programmer / Marketeer
www.NadiaDenton.com